Assighob op oete-teibd to williica h



A. FISCHER.

SIGN STBETCHER APPLICATION msn Nov. 10,'19l5.

1,51'. QG, 'I Patented l5,

30 the signs to be changed when desired.

ABRAHAM.' FISCHER, QF 'HILLSBORQ KANSAS, SSIGNOR 0F ONE-Tltl) TO "iTlLIIIl?. WALT AND (PNE-THIRD TO PETER P. BARKMAN, BOTH GF HILLSBLG, .i

sion-simmetrica.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented To all lwhom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ABRAHAM FISCHER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hillsboro, in the county of Marion and State of Kansas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Sign-Stretchers, of

which the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawin s.

gilly invention relates to devices for stretching signs or for cognatepurposes, and the general object of my invention is to provide a verysimple, convenient, easily operated and eiective device of thischaracter by W ich a sign or sheet of iieXible material may. e stretchedand held in a taut or stretched condition.

A further object of the invention is to provide a Idevice which isadapted to hold two signs or two sheets of flexible material in parallelrelation and in a stretched condition.

Still another object is to provide means whereby the sheet of flexiblematerial conf taining the sign may be stretched both longitudinally andlaterally, and VIstill another! object is to provide means whereby thesheet containing the sign may be readily attached to or removed from thestretcher without in any way marring the sheet, thus permitting Other.objects will appear in the course of the Ifollowingdescription.

My invention-is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a face view oi my improved sign stretcher, partly insection, and show- .ing the device in operation; Fig. 2 is a top planview of the construction shown in Fig. l, the nut 9 being removed; Fig.3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan View of the end of one of the stripsshowingthe gripping devices, the plate 22 being partly in section;

- Fig. 4e is a lsection on the line fle-4: of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. "3; Fig. 6 is a top planview ci" the supporting bracket; Fig. 7 is aA fragmentary view, partlyin section, of the upper end .of the section 2.; and Fig. 8 is a likeview 'pf the lower end of the section 3. i

Referring to these figures it will he seen that my improved signstretcher com` a telescopic stretcher bar composed l tubular section 2and the inserted'longitu nally shiftable section. 3. These sect' and 3are preferably in the Ytorni though not necessarily so, the section 3contained in the section 2. The is provided with a plurality of ratchetteeth l and the section 2 is provided with a 5 which will engage withthe teeth nd will hold the section 3 in any longitndira v adjustedrelation to the section 2 the elasticity of the sign supported in thespreader. This pawl 5 is shown as pivoted to the section 2, projectingthrough a slot and as having its outer end beyond the pivot greater inweight than its inner end so that it will normally occupy a positionwhere will engage with the `teeth fl. When it is desired to release thepawl it is only neces sary to press inward upon the projecting end ofthe pawl which will release it from the teeth a. A vbracket 6' or othersupporting member is mounted upon the section 2. s illustrated thisbracket is composed of two members together embracing the 4section 2 andadapted to be engaged with any suit able support, the sections of thebracket being held together by bolts so that :the bracket may be lampedtightly upon the section 2. its upper end the section 2 is formed with asquare shank 7 and beyond this square shank with a screw' threadedportion 8 adapted for engagement by a nut 9. The lower end of thesection 2 is likewise formed with a square portion 10 and a screwthreaded portion l1 adapted to be engaged by a' nut 12.

Mounted upon the opposite ends oi 'the sections 2 and 3 are theresilient semicircu.- lar strips 13. These strips are alike in form.Each strip is somewhat resilient and' at its center is provided with asquare Aopening for the reception of the square shank oi? the respectivesections. Eachstrip constitutes a pair of arms yieldably (':onnected tothe corresponding section ci the .stretcher bar,

'each freely movable with relation to each strip in divergent relationand at more than bar. The strip 13 at its extremities is so formed as toprovide means for gripping two flexible sheets or signs designatedgenerally A. To this end each extremity of each oi. the strips 13 isdownwardly bent, as at 14, and then inwardly bent as at 15. Thisinwardly bent extremity 15 has the upwardly projecting ears 16 on eachside w ose ends are inwardly bent, as at 17, to extend beneath theextremity of the strip 13 and be riveted thereto by the rivets 18. Thisprovides at each end of the strips the side plates 16. Extendingacrossthe end 14 of each strip is a plate 19 which is riveted thereto andprovided with the inwardly curved and rearwardly projecting resilientears 20. These ears normally bear resilieiitly against the confrontingplates 16 but may be forced inward and into gripping relation with theplate 16, as by means of an angular lever 21 which is disposed through aslot in the corresponding end of a plate 22 which is likewiseriveted'across the face of the end portion 14. It will be seen that whenthe levers 21 are turned tothe position shown on the upper side ofFig.2, the spring ears 20 will be released, but when the lever 'isturned to the position shown on the lower side of Fig. 2, the springears will be turned inward into gripping relation'to the plate 16 andthe corner of the sign engaged by such spring ears will be firmlygripped and` held. i

The operation of this invention is obvious from what has gone before.Primarily, as before stated, this invention is designed for the purposesof stretching signs which' are painted upon canvas or other flexiblematerial. T he corners of the sign are inserted beneath the spring ears20 and the levers 21 turned down to clamp the sign u ly in place. Themembers 2 and 3 are shifted longitudinally outward relative ch other,and as this is done the resilstrips 13 tend to Hatten, forcing the ofthe sign not only outward but y, thus stretching the sign evenly n alldirections sothat the sign is held `.For the purpose of permitie readypulling down of the member itiativc to the member 2, which last meinberis supported by means of the bracket 6, i attach to the extremity of themember 3 the handle 23 having an eye for the insertion oi a linger ofthe operator. It will be that when the members 2 and 3 are shifted awayiroin each other the pawl will hplc. .7 members in their shiftedposition and will not let lthe contraction of the sign ycause thecontraction of the stretcher.

; thereto as it is obvious that many changes might be made in thesedetails without in any way departing from the spirit of my invention asclaimed.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. A stretcher of the character described comprising a supportingmember, oppositely bowed resilient end members attached to options, eachend member consisting of two divergent arms resiliently held indivergent relation and against movement into a position of alinement,each of said arms being movable relative to the supporting member.

3. In a stretchei' of the character described, longitudinally adjustablestretchei' sections, oppositely bowed resilient end members mounted eachupon an end of one of the sections, the end members when so disposedbeing in oppositely bowed relation, latching. means holding thestretcher sections in adjusted position and normally preventing theircollapse, and means upon the extremity of the end members for grippingthe corners of an article to be stretched.

4. A stretcher of the character described comprising a tubular stretchersection and astretoher section having telescopic relation to the tubularsection, said last named section being formed with ratchet teeth, a pawlcarried by the tubular section andengaging said ratchet teeth, a supportoperatively connected to the tubular section, end members attached eachto the outer end of one of said stretcher sections, each memberconsisting oi a resilient bowed strip, the arms .of one strip extendingin a divergent rela- -ient ears extending over said walls, a leversupporting member having portions projecting over the ears, and leversmounted in said lever supporting member and engageable with said ears tohold them closed.

6. In a stretcher of the character described, longitudinally expansiblestretcher members? all atemly adjustable sme'hr membes cared by 5mlongumjy am pansble members m auch including dive? gem ,uN-w, @zich ofSaid arms oauch stretchy? n1 @L Telai-ion im 15h@ s/eiche? secgmn E50which it is ntachad, said. mms being normajy xslf in vcgent relationand. rfa more @than :zu

